Surface condenser



Patented Sept. 21, 1948 Nturno STATES ArtNr Nortica y 2,449,615 `.sinonimo connaissait Samuel Pennella, Pomptcn Lakes, N. J. application limo 5., 1946,l serial No.. como This invention relates to surface condensers and more particularly to protectors for protecting the inlet ends of condenser tubes againstV corrosico or erosion.`

The cooling water flowing through the tubes of a surface condenser causes failure of the inlet ends of the tubes, due to impingement, erosion, and electro-.chemical corrosion, resulting in the eating away and perforation of the tube, causing leakage. Such action has been found by experience to be most `severe in close proximity to the inlet end of the tube. It has been the practice heretofore to replace such leaking tubes at a cons` siderable` expense both in cost of new tubes, cost of operation of 17e-tubing of the condenser, and also in the resultant loss of tubes `which have` only a` short part of their entire length rendered incapable of properoperation. Observation of long period of time shows that such corrosion `and erosion occurs at the inlet end of the tube and for a relatively short distance from the inlet end and it is an obiect of the present invention to provide protector which is associated .with the inlet ends of the tubes to protect them from erosion and corrosion, and due to the nature of the material of which the protectors are formed prevent the setting up of electro-chemical actionand its resilient corrosion.

Another objectof the invention is to provide a protector for the inlet ends of condenser tubes i which may be associated with the tube, when the tube is new to. prevent corrosion or erosion of the inlet end of the tube or may be associated with e tube afterfsuch corrosion or erosion has occurred ior the purpose of stopping any leakage from or into the tube andV consequently increase the life of the tube.

Another object of the invention is to provide a protector for the inlet ends of the condenser tube which may be installed quickly,` inexpensively, and at a` minimum labor cost be associated with the tube.

With these and. other objects in view, as may appear from the accompanying speciication, the invention consists of various featuresl of construction and combination of parts, which will be first described in connection with the accompanying drawings, showing a condenser tube protector of a preferred form embodying the invention, and

the features forming the invention will be sped cically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the improved tube protector showing it associated with afra-gmentof a condenser tube,

4. Claims- (Cl. 285-45).

it Fisurc is oud View of the protector, I Figure. E. is a cross-section toison on the liuc iis-3 of Figure. .1..

Figure. 4 is, o longitudinal section tliroush` a modilicd form. oi tbe tube protector..

' Figure; .5 is. a loneit.udinal.v section through. other modicd iorm of the improved tube. protector..

rieure 6. is o longitudinal section. throughs still further modicd form of thc. tube protector;A

Figure 7 is a cross-'section on tbc liuc l-i of.

Fisurc.

Figure c is a longitudinal section through. o further modilicd. f orrriof the tube protector showius its association with o. tube which bas been eroded...

Figure 9 is o fragmentary longitudinal, section throughY a condenser showing tbc form of protoction illustrated in Figure, 3 applied thereto,

l Figure 1.01 is a longitudinal ,sectionv through o still further modified form. of. the tube protector. Referring` moro `purticularlyto tbc drawing, Fisl. indicates.. a fragmentary section of. a. coudcnscr tubo sheet and. Fis. `2. indicates tbc inlet end of o water circulating.tube` associated 'abercwith..l The tube Zi is rolled in the tube receiving oncologi in. the tubo. sheet, l by attaching, the tube 2 to the tube sheet. This is one of the common practicos in. cuitachiue` condcuscr tubos to tho tubo shoots, however. inrollins. the tubes they are. expanded as is clearly shown in. Figure l of the, drawings and. such. expansion tends to weaken. tho tubes. structurally and produce fatigue soV that. the resistancey of the tube to the destructire. force irriloosodA by the. Water entering, the tube is reduced. Tric. shoulder indicated. at Ilr provided bodics a slcore 5. which is constructed of suitable material. which. iscbomioolly inert with.. respect to tbc metal of the tube 2 and the. tubo siicct l and which is slightly resilient and will swell slightly whenv wetted.4 The, Sleeve 5 has. a head t3 connected thereto with a drive t and the head l5. and sleeve 5. are. provided with o cooperating shoulder 'l which limits the association of `the sleeve, into the head. The head a preferably formed Vof. plastic. or` some other hard material which,l preferably, is, not swellable when wetted and which is chemically inert with respect to, the

3 metal of the tube 2 and the tube sheet I. The sleeve has its inner end tapered to substantially knife edge as shown at 8 and when the protector is associated with a tubel the sleeve 5 is inserted into the tube so that its tapered portion abuts the shoulder il and the bore 3 of the sleeve merges with the bore of the tube 2 without forming an abrupt shoulder or both so as to provide the setting up of small eddies in the water at this point. The head 6 sets tightly against the rolled end IE! of the tube 2 and thus the head 6 and sleeve 5 forms an extending entrance to the tube 2 which extended entrance provides outlet of the tube head I. In this manner the entrance end of the tube 2 is protected from contact with the water ilow into the tube and the resulting erosion and corrosion of the inlet end of the tube is prevented.

Due to the fact that the sleeve 5 is of material which will swell when wetted the protector sleeve 5 may have an outside diameter of such size that it may be easily driven into the inlet end of the tube merely by manual pressure and thus the protector may be quickly and easily attached to condenser tube. As the protector becomes worn and needs replacement it can be bored out of the tube and be replaced with a new one at relatively small cost.

In Figure 4 of the drawing, a modified form of the protector is shown which is adapted for use with condenser tubes which are placed rather than rolled or expanded in the connection w-ith the tube sheets and in this form the condenser tube sheet Ill is counterbored as yshown at II to receive a placing I2 of any suitable form and the counterbore II has its outlet end tapered as shown at I3 to receive the inner-tapered end I4 of the head I5 of the protector. In this form the inner-sleeve I6 abuts the end of the condenser tube I'I.

In Figure 5 of the drawing the form shown is similar to that shown in Figure 4 wherein the protector is associated with a placing I8 of any approved typewhile the inner-tapered end I8 of the head is driven into the tapered end of the counterbore 2| in the tube sheet 22. 'Ihe sleeve 23, however, is elongated like the sleeve shown in Figure 1 and extends into the condenser tube 24. i

Further modied forms of the tube protector are shown in Figures 6 to 9, inclusive, of the drawings. Figure 6 shows one manner of attaching a tube protector to vthe condenser, while a diiierent manner of attachment is shown in Fig. 8. In this modified form, Fig. 8, the protector comprises the head which is preferably constructed of the samematerial as the heads l5, I5 and 20 of Figs. 1, 4 and 5, respectively. In Figs. 6 and 8, a sleeve 26, made of swellable semi-resilient material, is driven into the head 25 and its position in the head,25 is controlled by the shoulder 21, which corresponds to the shoulder 'I of Fig. l. The sleeve 2B is of su'llicient length so that it extends into a condenser tube 28, while the inner-nat end 29 of the head 25 has a longitudinal extending recess 3| formed therein extending inwardly from the inner-end of the head.

In uFigures 8 and 9, the improved tube protector is shown in use uponl the condenser in accordance with my prior Patent ,2,298,154 wherein the condenser tubes 32 extend beyond the tube sheet 33 of the outlet end of the condenser so that when the inlet ends of the tubes become eaten away they may be driven forward through the tube sheet 34' -at the inlet end of the condenser. In my prior patent above mentioned, this construction is provided so that the prevented ends of the tubes may be cut off `for the purpose of increasing the life of the condenser tube. However, with the use of the protector of the present invention isolated tubes which are found to leak may be driven forward slightly for a short distance and one of the tube protectors mounted thereon for the purpose of stopping the leakage. When such operation is resorted to the inlet of the tube 35 (see Figure 8) is driven to the annular recess 3l in the head 25 while the sleeve 26 extends into the tube 25 a short distance to cover such holes, or corroded spots indicated in 3-6 in the end -of tube. This enables the operator of the power plant in which the condenser is mounted to repair isolated tubes until such time as a suilic-ient number of the tubes are damaged to warrant the further driving and the vcutting 01T of the defective inlet ends.

In Figure 10 of the drawings a tube protector is shown as formed of a similar piece of material to counterbore of the head sleeves of Figs. 1 and 9, inclusive. In this modified form the tube protector is presented in a form of slightly resilient material which will swell when wetted such as fabric impregnated with plastic but has suiicient resiliency and hardness to maintain its shape and to allow it to be formed without material distortion and in. this form the protector includes the sleeve extension 31 which extends outwardly from the inner-end of the head portion 38 sufficiently, for insertion into a condenser tube to protect the inlet end of the tube and the head portion 38 is recessed as shown at 39 as to receive the end of the condenser tube while the inner-end of the head is flat as shown at 40 for facial Contact with the condenser tube sheet.

It will be understood that the invention is not tol be limited to the specic construction or arrangement of parts shown, but that they may be widely modified within the invention defined by the claims.

What is claimed:

1. A protector for the ends of condenser tubes comprising a sleeve of semi-nexible material having the property of swelling when wetted, an annular head about a portion of said sleeve, said sleeve and head having cooperating annular shoulders thereon for limiting the insertion of the sleeve into the head.

comprising a sleeve of semi-flexible material having the property of swelling when wetted, an y annular head about a portion of said sleeve, said sleeve `and head having cooperating annular shoulders thereon for limiting the insertion of the sleeve into the head, said head being constructed of a material which is non-swellable when wetted and both said head and sleeve being constructed of material which is chemically inert with respect to the metal of condenser tube and tube sheet.

3. As a new article of manufacture a protector for the inlet end of condenser tube formed of senil-resilient material which will swell when wetted and which is chemically inert with respect to the condenser tube and tube sheet, said protector comprising an elongated sleeve and an enlarged head on one end of said sleeve and being substantially long with respect to the length of the sleeve, said head provided with an arinular recess extending inwardly from an inner- 5 6 lrligriiriid recelvmg a portion of its condenser tube UNITED STATES PATENTS 4. A protector for the ends of condenser tubes Number Name Date as claimed in claim 2 wherein said head is pro- Re. 22,027 Bay Feb. 17, 1942 vided with an annular recess extending inwardly 5 1,937,600 Spanyol Dec. 5, 1933 from its inner end for receiving a. portion of a 2,143,477 DllOn Bi? 11- Jan 10, 1939 condenser tube. 2,342,398 Heron Feb. 22, 1944 SAMUEL PENNELLA. 2,394,402 Pennella, Feb. 5, 1946 REFERENCES CITED 10 n FOREIGN PATENTS The following references are of record in the Number Country Date me of this patent: 442,382 Great Britain Feb. 7, 1936 

